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[bestseany]

I'm having a really annoying problem with my Omega.

When I first bought a few months back, the wipers were crap and smeared water everywhere. I bought some Bosch ones, but they were just as bad.

I've now got some halfords own-brand ones, which wipe properly, but make a high pitched squealing/screeching noise if it isn't pouring down with rain! There is a scratch mark right in front of my view, and another one near where the wipers rest at the bottom. The scratches have always seemed to be there.

Any ideas why this would happen? The windscreen has been replaced at some point, as it has a RAC label at the bottom.

[Jimbob]

The wife's had an RAC screen, until it smashed itself one hot day sat on the drive!
was appaling quality.
I would be tempted to get an autoglass replacement (50-60 though insurance), Im sure a stone could hit your screen and cause a chip

[bigall]

Grit under blade at sometime - makes for nice scratches. If not too deep can be polished away Nice kit available from FROSTS - Windscreen scratch repair kit - about £20 see frost.co.uk. Worked well on mine when some kind person with ringon but no cloth decided to polish my windscreen.

[bestseany]

The wife's had an RAC screen, until it smashed itself one hot day sat on the drive!
was appaling quality.
I would be tempted to get an autoglass replacement (50-60 though insurance), Im sure a stone could hit your screen and cause a chip

So it is a possibility that the screen is just shite then?

I can't claim through insurance for a new one as I'm only TPFT. My mate is windscreen fitter though, so I can get a new one for cost price with no labour charge. Might have a word with him.

[bestseany]

Grit under blade at sometime - makes for nice scratches. If not too deep can be polished away Nice kit available from FROSTS - Windscreen scratch repair kit - about £20 see frost.co.uk. Worked well on mine when some kind person with ringon but no cloth decided to polish my windscreen.

The scratching must've happened before I got the car. I'm guessing the previous used knackered blades on it or something.

Just weird how the Bosch blades didn't screech, but the Halfords ones are.

[Jimbob]

The wife's had an RAC screen, until it smashed itself one hot day sat on the drive!
was appaling quality.
I would be tempted to get an autoglass replacement (50-60 though insurance), Im sure a stone could hit your screen and cause a chip

So it is a possibility that the screen is just shite then?

I can't claim through insurance for a new one as I'm only TPFT. My mate is windscreen fitter though, so I can get a new one for cost price with no labour charge. Might have a word with him.

I could do with a new one myself, is he up for foreigners, have a small chip passenger side.
I Imagine it may be dearer than through the insurance though.

May be cheaper to upgrade the insurance, sometimes not much in it.

[bob.dent]

Grit under blade at sometime - makes for nice scratches. If not too deep can be polished away Nice kit available from FROSTS - Windscreen scratch repair kit - about £20 see frost.co.uk. Worked well on mine when some kind person with ringon but no cloth decided to polish my windscreen.

The scratching must've happened before I got the car. I'm guessing the previous used knackered blades on it or something.

Just weird how the Bosch blades didn't screech, but the Halfords ones are.

I always buy good quality wipers such as Bosch or original VX as I don't think it's worth scrimping when it comes down to clear vision, and at the end of the day they'll probably only cost a couple of quid more than the cheapo's.

[bestseany]

I always buy good quality wipers such as Bosch or original VX as I don't think it's worth scrimping when it comes down to clear vision, and at the end of the day they'll probably only cost a couple of quid more than the cheapo's.

I normally have that opinion too mate, hence why I originally bought proper Bosch ones  

They were crap, so I replaced them with Halfords ones for half the price. At least these ones wipe the water away, it's just the noise from them now!

Apparently, Vauxhall ones are Bosch anyway, so I didn't see the point in getting them.

I could do with a new one myself, is he up for foreigners, have a small chip passenger side.
I Imagine it may be dearer than through the insurance though.
 
May be cheaper to upgrade the insurance, sometimes not much in it.

I don't think he really does foreigners to be honest. His work don't like him taking windscreens at cost price, as they make a lot of money from them.

I got my Cavalier windscreen changed for £55 by him. I think I remember him saying that Omega ones are quite expensive though.

[Jimbob]

Cheers, no worries
Insurance probably easier for very little difference, get some comeback etc.
Its not the highest on the list anyway, need some new rubber 1st

[bestseany]

Cheers, no worries
Insurance probably easier for very little difference, get some comeback etc.
Its not the highest on the list anyway, need some new rubber 1st

Rubber is more important  

I had to get two new front tyres fitted last week. I found out the hard way that tyres for Omega's aren't cheap, especially 225/55/16's.

I ended up getting Falken ZE512's - cost £140 for both fitted.

[Jimbob]

Its the 17" for me!
gonna be 'ouch' I think
Will give central tyre at sealand a bell, normally quite competitive,

Also noticed masterfit advertising ' 9 out of 10 tyres cheaper here than kwik fitup' maye get a quote of them.


mine are all low, and Im getting some tramlining, not sure what to go for yet, maybe pirellis, alwyas found them good.

[bestseany]

Its the 17" for me!
gonna be 'ouch' I think
Will give central tyre at sealand a bell, normally quite competitive,

Also noticed masterfit advertising ' 9 out of 10 tyres cheaper here than kwik fitup' maye get a quote of them.

Funny you should mention Central Tyres actually. I bought my tyres from blackcircles.com and I chose the fully fitted option, they have a contract with Central Tyres so I got them fitted there.

[Jimbob]

good to know, will look into that.  Cheers

[TheBoy]

etyres also worth a look, will give you good idea of competitive prices.

My Dunlop SP9000 235/45ZR17 were £105 per corner this time last year...

[Jimbob]

etyres also worth a look, will give you good idea of competitive prices.

My Dunlop SP9000 235/45ZR17 were £105 per corner this time last year...

Thats on the soft irmsher wheels?
happy with em for grip and not tramlining?

[Jimbob]

just checked....£399.60 for 4 fitted

[TheBoy]

etyres also worth a look, will give you good idea of competitive prices.

My Dunlop SP9000 235/45ZR17 were £105 per corner this time last year...

Thats on the soft irmsher wheels?
happy with em for grip and not tramlining?

Generally happy. Good levels of grip wet and dry, better than anything else I've tried on it.

Any wide low profile will have a tendency to tramline. However, these appear to be handling a bit weird at moment - probably partly due to knackered wheel bearing that has just been replaced at weekend, and also due to a broken rear spring.  Once this fixed, Tony from WIM will rework his magic and I'm sure the car will be back to normal.  I've also been experiementing with tyre pressures, so that may have contributed to some strange handling lately (tyres currently quite hard - 38 psi all round)

[Jimbob]

cheers, out of interest, why you playing with pressure?

[TheBoy]

cheers, out of interest, why you playing with pressure?

Odd tyre wear on one tyre was what started it (probably due to Milton Keynes and its roundabouts!), but then started playing with them. I found 34PSI to be about the ideal for my car from a handling point of view, but still experimenting...

[Matchless]

Going back to the wipers....

Check that the spoiler is clear of the windscreen, if the wiper arm has got bent at some time then the blade will be at the wrong angle to the screen and spoiler may even rub on glass causing scratch mark.
Usually gets bent when someone is trying to remove wiper arms:
Bonnet up,
Undo nut,
try to remove arm,
wont budge,
lift arm to fully up posn,
still wont budge,
try lowering bonnet to work from other side,
oops, lower wiper arm first,
too late, alloy bit is already twisted slightly,
wipers squeek forevermore.

[Jimbob]

cheers, out of interest, why you playing with pressure?

Odd tyre wear on one tyre was what started it (probably due to Milton Keynes and its roundabouts!), but then started playing with them. I found 34PSI to be about the ideal for my car from a handling point of view, but still experimenting...

Cheers, nothing worrying then
Just thought 'why play if you like them?'

[TheBoy]

My fronts are towards the end of their life, and the rears are probably halfway. And they are only 1yr old (about 14k), but they do occasionally have a hard life  

[Jimbob]

My fronts are towards the end of their life, and the rears are probably halfway. And they are only 1yr old (about 14k), but they do occasionally have a hard life  

Perfect time for the question, will you buy the same to replace then?
That is always the proof of the pudding.

[TheBoy]

My fronts are towards the end of their life, and the rears are probably halfway. And they are only 1yr old (about 14k), but they do occasionally have a hard life  

Perfect time for the question, will you buy the same to replace then?
That is always the proof of the pudding.

Most likely, unless someone can convince me otherwise. I think Marks_DTM was trying to persuade me onto contis....

[Auto Addict]

I replace mine as a matter of course every 12 months, around November tine, with Bosch. I like a clean windscreen when its raining.

Never had a problem with Bosch. Tried Halfords once, never again.

[jonny2112]

My blades are just about ready to be changed. I was going to get the Vx ones though - hadn't thought of anything else!  :-/